For the first time in football history, a World Cup will be hosted by three countries: the 2026 tournament.

It will take place from June 11 to July 19 across the stadiums of the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The USA last hosted a World Cup in 1994, where Greece participated for the first time. Meanwhile, Mexico has hosted the World Cups of 1970 and 1986.

The 2026 tournament will also mark the debut of a 48-team format!

Greece, which today learned its opponents in the European qualifying zone for the 2026 World Cup, aims to return to the planet’s most prestigious football tournament after 12 years, and it seems to be within reach.

Our national team last participated in a World Cup in 2014 in Brazil. Back then, under coach Fernando Santos, the team reached the Round of 16 and was eliminated by Costa Rica on penalties.

Greece is now called upon to return to America in 2026, but this time not to Latin America. The task won’t be easy, but Ivan Jovanović’s squad has the potential to succeed against Portugal or Denmark, Scotland, and Belarus.

The Qualification System

Greece is in Group 3 of the qualifiers, which will conclude in March 2025, when the loser of the Portugal vs. Denmark Nations League playoff pairing will be determined.

The first leg between these two teams will take place in Denmark on March 20, while the return leg will be held three days later on March 23 in Portugal.

The draw produced six groups of four teams and another six groups of five. The group winners will secure their spots in the 2026 World Cup.

The remaining four European slots will be determined in March 2026 during playoffs involving 16 teams: the 12 runners-up from the qualifying groups and the 4 best first-place teams from the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League groups who neither secured World Cup qualification as group winners nor entered the playoffs as runners-up.

Thus, if Greece finishes first in its group (a challenge with Portugal in it), it goes directly to the finals, featuring 48 teams. If it finishes second, there will still be a chance through the playoffs.

In the playoffs, 16 teams will be split into 4 groups, with single-leg matches (a Final-4 system with semifinals and finals) determining the four winners who will claim the last tickets.

Match Dates

The qualifiers will begin on September 4, 2025, and conclude on November 18, 2025. If Greece enters the playoffs, they will be held in March 2026, with semifinals on March 26 and the final on March 31.

The order of matches within each group has not yet been announced.

• Matchday 1: September 4–6, 2025
• Matchday 2: September 7–9, 2025
• Matchday 3: October 9–11, 2025
• Matchday 4: October 12–14, 2025
• Matchday 5: November 13–15, 2025
• Matchday 6: November 16–18, 2025

Greece’s Record Against Portugal, Denmark, Belarus, and Scotland

Greece has a positive record against Portugal, with 5 wins, 5 draws, and 4 losses in 14 matches.

Of course, two of those wins are unforgettable from Euro 2004, marking both the opening match (2-1 victory) and the final (1-0 win) of that historic tournament.

Against Denmark, the record is unfavorable, with Greece securing only 3 wins, 4 draws, and suffering 9 defeats in 16 matches.

Scotland is a less common opponent, but Greece will face them four times in 2025—twice in the Nations League playoffs and twice in the World Cup qualifiers.

In just two previous meetings, both teams have one win and one loss each. The same record applies to Greece’s encounters with Belarus.

FIFA Rankings and Performance

• Portugal (FIFA Rank: 6th): Finished 1st in Group A1 of the Nations League 2024-25 with 14 points, securing a spot in the quarterfinals. At Euro 2024, they topped their group, eliminated Slovenia in the Round of 16 (3-0 on penalties), but were knocked out in the quarterfinals by France, also on penalties (3-5).
• Denmark (FIFA Rank: 21st): Finished 2nd in Group A4 of the Nations League 2024-25 with 8 points, also qualifying for the quarterfinals. At Euro 2024, they advanced from the group stage as runners-up but were eliminated in the Round of 16 by host Germany (0-2).
• Scotland (FIFA Rank: 45th): Finished 3rd in Group A1 of the Nations League 2024-25 and will face Greece in the playoffs for a spot in League A or relegation to League B. At Euro 2024, they finished 4th in their group and were eliminated.
• Belarus (FIFA Rank: 98th): Finished 3rd in Group C3 of the Nations League 2024-25 with 7 points, remaining in League C. They did not qualify for Euro 2024.

Portugal: Ronaldo’s Legacy

If Denmark loses the March Nations League playoff, they will join Greece’s World Cup qualifying group. With Portugal’s roster, this is unlikely, but as they say, “football is unpredictable.”

Portugal’s coach, Roberto Martínez, has done well post-Fernando Santos, effectively managing Cristiano Ronaldo, who at 40 remains the team’s star and aims to play in the 2026 World Cup.

The likes of Rafael Leão (AC Milan), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), and rising stars like Francisco Conceição bring quality and effectiveness to Portugal.

At Euro 2024, Portugal comfortably reached the quarterfinals but was eliminated by France. In the Nations League, they topped their group, going undefeated with 14 points.

Denmark and the Phantom

If Denmark is eliminated by Portugal, they will join Greece’s group. The mention of Denmark brings to mind legendary goalkeeper Nikos Sarganis’ remarkable performance in the 1982 World Cup qualifiers, where Greece beat Denmark 1-0 in Copenhagen with a goal by Kouis. Sarganis’ save against Simonsen earned him the nickname “Phantom.”

While Denmark today is no match for their golden 1980s era or the team that won Euro 1992, they remain a formidable rival.

Their star players include Rasmus Højlund (Manchester United), Morten Hjulmand (Sporting Lisbon), and Christian Eriksen, whose cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 shocked the world.

Scotland Again

Greece will face Scotland in the Nations League playoffs in March 2025 for promotion to League A, followed by two additional encounters during World Cup qualifiers.

Scotland’s coach, Steve Clarke, is not known for spectacular football, but key players include Scott McTominay (Napoli) and John McGinn, the Aston Villa captain, who plays in the Champions League.

The Underdog: Belarus

Belarus is the weakest team in the group and a likely candidate for the 4th spot. They have never qualified for a Euro or World Cup final.

Their most expensive player, goalkeeper Fyodor Lapukhov of Dynamo Minsk, is valued at just €1 million on the transfer market.